Smelling Rosemary Bushes
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Question
Hello Rabbi, I wanted to ask: I take a walk on Shabbat after the meal, and along the way, there are various trees and bushes that I love to smell, such as rosemary bushes and different citrus trees. Is it permissible for me to stop and smell them even though they are attached to the ground?
Answer
Hello,
It is permissible to smell bushes and trees that are not intended for consumption, and you may even hold them while they are attached to smell them, just be careful not to detach them.
However, it is forbidden to smell anything that is suitable for consumption, such as fruits, due to the concern that while smelling, one might forget it's Shabbat and detach it to eat the fruit or plant.
Therefore, rosemary or any other plant not intended for consumption [as it is] is permissible to smell, whereas citrus trees along the way, when they have fruits suitable for consumption, it is forbidden to stop near them to smell them, but there is no prohibition to enjoy the scent they emit along the way.
Source
Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim, Siman 336, Seif 10).
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